The Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission reported there are 285,000 idle wells in the U.S., up 70,000 from its original survey in 1992.
The study also examined programs states are using to return idle wells to production and to fund plugging programs for wells that are no longer economically viable.
Iogcc said that because the report uses information from the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Indian Affairs, it is the first comprehensive study of U.S. idle wells. The Department of Energy funded the study.
James Erb, director of Pennsylvania's Bureau of Oil and Gas Management, chaired the Iogcc committee that gathered updated information from the states and supplemented it with BLM and BIA data.
He said, "This study offers important information for states and policy makers who want to put proven actions into effect to help keep many idle wells from becoming liabilities and to turn them (back) into assets.
"When programs such as these are put into place, states find that economic benefits including the creation of jobs and the generation of additional revenues often result."
The report said "orphan wells," for which no viable, responsible party can be determined, represent 5% of the idle wells and costs to plug them could run as high as $342.9 million.
Iogcc said many states have programs that stretch plugging funds by identifying and assigning a high priority to wells that present a potential environmental threat.
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